Classification: Eucrite Melt Breccia S-high / W-moderate
Place/Time: 2022 in Libya (29°58’08.2” N 21°52’05.0” E)
Mass: 50kg (+1 tons)
History: Numerous fragments reportedly totalling to almost one metric ton were recovered in Northeastern Lybia. Fifty kg of it were subsequently purchased by the main mass holder from a meteorite dealer in Lybia.
Physical characteristics: Many brownish fragments some of which with small patches of fusion crust.
Petrography: Achondritic melt breccia composed of several cm-sized lithic clasts set in abundant recrystallized shock melt. Lithic clasts consist of calcic plagioclase and aggregates of fine-grained, 30-70 µm sized pigeonite crystals displaying patchy compositional zoning. The melt matrix is composed of recrystallized pigeonite displaying mottled compositional zoning and fine-grained, mostly fibrous feldspar. Minor phases include silica, Ti-chromite, ilmenite, and FeS. No metallic iron has been detected.
Geochemistry: patchily zoned pigeonite: Fs50.1±1.5Wo11.6±1.7 (Fs48.1-53.4Wo6.9-13.3, FeO/MnO=27-31, n=12); calcic plagioclase: An90.2±0.7 (An88.9-91.3, n=10)
Classification: HED achondrite (Eucrite, melt breccia)
Only a few percent of Jikhara specimens contain vesicles. This material is extremely rare and very unusual compared to typical meteorites which usually do not have any empty spaces.
This specimen is even rarer because it has an orange matrix and large, 2 mm foam bubbles. Most bubbled Jikharra I have seen have a gray matrix and bubbles below 1mm.
